the limousine door. Margaret saw an immense stone mansion facing the
park, climbed a dazzling flight of wide steps, and was in a great hall
that faced an interior court, where there were Florentine marble
benches, and the great lifted leaves of palms. She was a little dazed
by crowded impressions; impressions of height and spaciousness and
richness, and opening vistas; a great marble stairway, and a landing
where there was an immense designed window in clear leaded glass;
rugs, tapestries, mirrors, polished wood and great chairs with
brocaded seats and carved dark backs. Two little girls, heavy, well
groomed little girls,--one spectacled and good-natured looking, the
other rather pretty, with a mass of fair hair,--were coming down the
stairs with an eager little German woman. They kissed their mother,
much diverted by the mad rushes and leaps of the two white poodles who
accompanied them.

"These are my babies, Miss Paget," said Mrs. Carr-Boldt. "This
is Victoria, who's eleven, and Harriet, who's six. And these are
Monsieur--"

"Monsieur Patou and Monsieur Mouche," said Victoria, introducing
the dogs with entire ease of manner. The German woman said
something forcibly, and Margaret understood the child's reply
in that tongue: "Mamma won't blame you, Fraulein; Harriet and
I wished them to come down!"

Presently they all went up in a luxuriously fitted little lift,
Margaret being carried to the fourth floor to her own rooms, to which
a little maid escorted her.

When the maid had gone Margaret walked to the door and tried it, for